Back to Mineral Town
by Raesha Valentine
Summary: Courtney has returned to Mineral Town to reclaim the farm her deceased grandfather left her. She's suffered more than her share of hardships, but life in Mineral Town seems like it's too good to be true. Can she find a place to be truly happy? Please read
1. Papa's Letter

Papa's Letter

It all started with a letter…

My Dear Courtney,

My darling granddaughter: you will never know the joy I've felt in these past few years of having you stay here on the farm with me. I realize that at age seven you weren't really planning out your future, but know this; as I lay dying, I leave it all to you. My house, my land and everything located on and in both.

I thank the Goddess everyday for sending you to me and changing me from a cantankerous old coot into a man who has been reborn. Your innocence and wonder at the world around you has done my old heart so much good. As you're reading this, I've been gone for quite a few years. You're 18, and I'm sure you've blossomed into the beauty I knew you would be, but still, I pray you'll return to the farm and try your hand at it for a year. That's all I ask, a year. If you love it, then it's all yours to keep. If you don't, put the land up for sale. Either way, this is my gift to you.

Much luck for the rest of your years,

Papa

And that letter changed my life.


	2. Not So Pleasant a Surprise

_Author's Note:_

_Hey guys, it's me! So, after fighting with my computer for what feels like hours, I finally convinced it that loading this story was in its best interest. I'm really excited about this story, so please read and review!_

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* * *

Chapter 1: Not so pleasant a surprise...**

As I stepped out of the taxi into a forest I looked at the driver, puzzled. "Um, sir? There's no farm here."

The man laughed. "Yep. These locals are nuts. No cars allowed anywhere near their town. It'll cause _pollution_!" he said, spitting out the window. I grimaced. _Yuck_. "You're gonna hafta walk pretty lady. Bet that's no problem for you though." Winking lecherously, he stuck his head out the window. "Any more questions, doll?"

I forced a smile to my face. "Just one. Which way is town? It kind of all looks the same." _And why are you such a skeezball? Yeesh_!

He pointed vaguely to the left. "It's that way somewhere. I'd walk you, but I need to get back, unfortunately." He ran his eyes up and down my body.

"Um, here's the fee. Let me get my stuff out of the trunk and I'll head out! Thanks for driving me out here!" Tossing the money at him, I grabbed my three bags and slammed the hood down. "Bye!" I hurried away as I heard him call out, "How 'bout a kiss, love?" _What a repulsive man. _

I heard the taxi drive away as I started up the hill towards the town. Or, more like as I started up the hill where I think I might find the town. I sighed, and set my bags down to stretch. After an hour or so I came across a wooden cabin in between trees. Dropping my bags where they were I ran towards it. I knocked, praying someone was in. From inside I heard a gruff voice shout "Come in, ya moron!" _Oh no… a grouch._

I pushed the heavy door open and found myself face to face with a bear of a man. This guy was horribly tall and kinda hairy. Think grizzly. He looked at me, confused. "Who da hell are you?"

Squaring back my shoulders, I replied, "My name is Courtney Polder. M-"

"Polder, eh? You related to Al?" He asked, cutting me off.

I sighed, and continued on. "My grandfather was Al Polder. He lived up on the farm and he left it to me in his will. I've come to live there."

He shook his head. "Girlie, he's been dead a long time. Why you showin' up now?"

I just looked at him, speechless. "When he died I was seven. A seven year old orphan girl **cannot**, under any conditions, be expected to take over a farm!"

Looking me over, he nodded. "'Specially if she's as scrawny as you."

Glaring at him, I marched straight to his face. "Excuse, Smokey, but I'm not _scrawny_! I am here to take over my grandfather's farm if you'd be polite enough to simply point out the way. I haven't even seen my new place and already I've been hit on by the most disgusting scum of a taxi driver, walked for over an hour in woods I haven't seen in over a decade and now I'm being insulted by some freaking grizzly man I just met! This isn't the town I remember! Right now all I hope is I took a wrong turn at the birch three miles down the non-existent forest trail and am somewhere in China!" I folded my arms and continued to glare as it dawned on me that I had just told off a man three times my size. His face began to twitch and I stepped back as he started guffawing, tears in his eyes. "Now what?!" I asked, exasperated.

"You-are definitely-Al's-girl…" He gasped out as he doubled over. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he sniffed. "Town's directly right of this building, but your farm is to the left. After about ten minutes you'll see a path in either direction."

"Thanks…" I said, a little confused. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go now… bye." He waved.

"Don't forget to come back now!" he called out as the door banged shut. _Wow. He's a character… wait. Did he even tell me his name?_ I shook my head to clear it. _Oh well. _Heading back to grab my bags, I turned to the left like Grizzly said.

Just like he told me, I found a trail about twenty minutes in. I guess I walk slower than he does. Following the trail I began gasping for breath as it turn into a steep hill. With every step I took I could feel my bags become increasingly heavy. At the exact moment I felt my legs give out I saw someone heading down the hill towards me.

All the air was pushed out of my lungs as I fell to my knees on the dirt path. I heard footsteps coming toward me. "Hey, are you alright?" The voice belonged to a guy. I looked up into concerned onyx eyes. _Wow. He's really, really hot._

I smiled shakily. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've been walking for over two hours now and I'm just tired and hungry. I didn't have a chance to eat breakfast."

He gave me his hand. Pulling me up, he frowned. "You should never skip breakfast. That's unhealthy, especially for a girl like yourself."

"Oh? And how is that?" I replied coolly. Looking flustered, he sighed.

"I'm not being sexist. Your metabolism is different because you're female." He cleared his throat. "You look too thin as it is anyhow."

Throwing my hands up in the air, I start yelling. "I haven't even made it to my farm yet and already I've been called scrawny and now you think I'm anorexic? What is wrong with you people?!"

Puzzled, he looked at me strangely. "What do you mean, _your farm_? Who are you?"

"I don't know, who are _you_?" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest.

"I'm Trent White. I live over at the hospital. I'm Mineral Town's doctor. Do you have any other questions for me or will you tell me your name?" Grinning, he took two of my bags and started up the hill.

_Trent... he sounds familiar._ "Fine. I'm Courtney Polder, granddaughter to Al Polder. I've come to work on the farm. Don't you remember me?" I pulled my book bag back onto my back.

He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Were you the girl I had to pull out of the pond because you wanted to meet the Goddess?"

I nodded, grinning. He laughed. "I guess I do remember you then. Come on. I'll walk you to your home." We half ran, half jogged up the rest of the hill until we came across a clearing of trees. I gasped as I saw the wreckage before me. The river I remember being crystal clear had garbage lying on its banks. Out in the field were boulders and branches everywhere. The chicken coop had a huge gash in the roof and it looked like the barn door had been torn off.

"What happened here?" I asked, my eyes tearing up. "Grandpa never would've let the farm get this bad!"

Trent looked at me, eyes full of sympathy. "Courtney, he's been gone for a long time. Some of the village hens have been wondering if you'd ever show up."

I looked at him, incredulous. "What? Of course I'd come back! I loved the farm!"

He shrugged. "Thomas didn't say much about you and what you're like. They remember you, they just don't know you. A lot can happen in ten years."

I sighed. "Joy. I get to deal with confused neighbors and sexist grizzly bears and a war zone for a farm. Wonderful. Wait. What you just said totally did not make sense."

Laughing, he looked at the sun. "I need to head back to the hospital. Of course, being Wednesday, it's closed, but Elli will freak if I don't get back."

"Oh? She works for you now? Our Elli?"

"She's the hospital's nurse."

"Elli, Karen, Ann and me were inseparable! They were with me at the pond that day. We grew up together. After Papa died I had to leave with my mother. She didn't let me write. I haven't talked to them in years. I wonder how they're doing?"

"Well, ever since the accident she's working full time while trying to raise Stu."

"What? What accident?!"

A few months after you left there was a freak storm during a festival. Ellen's now paralyzed from the waist down and Gotz's entire family was killed."

"Gotz…" I looked at the little cabin down the hill. "The grizzly? It was his family? Man, I'm a horrible person… I treated him like crap."

"Do you really think he wants people walking on eggshells for him?" Trent asked, grinning.

"He probably would've slapped me, actually…" I turned back to my farm. Or wreckage… "Thanks for helping me find the farm. Had you not shown up I'd probably be taking a nap on the trail." I stuck out my hand. He just looked at it. Sighing, I reached over and grabbed his hand, shaking it. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm gonna check out my land now. You need to get back to Elli anyway, right?"

"Well, I could stay for a while…" I grinned.

"Wanna come?" I asked, walking forward.

"Of course," he replied. "I'm at your service." He faked a bow and I giggled.

"Come on then!"

* * *

"Bye!" Trent waved as he headed back into town, the sun just about gone from the sky. I smiled to myself when he disappeared from view. _I like him. He's changed a lot from the anti-social fourteen-year-old boy I remember. _We must have spent two hours talking as we walked through the land. It really wasn't as bad as it seemed; once I get the weed problem under control. Oh, we also found the barn door. Apparently, the typhoon season here is pretty intense, since we found it in the river, which was on the complete other side of the farm.

Grabbing my bags, I tossed them inside the small house that was already on the property. As I surveyed the room, I realized that the stuff my friend Eve was going to drop off here tomorrow probably wouldn't fit. The single room had a bed, a nightstand, a table, a small tv with a VCR/DVD player and a bookshelf. It also had a fridge and shelves, but nothing to cook the food I might store on either. That would pose a problem, but I wasn't going to deal with it yet. I'd figure that out in the morning. Next to the bed sat a small dresser and in the middle of the room there was a small table with a yellow tablecloth. On the far side there was a small bathroom with a toliet, a sink and a shower. I pulled my clothes out of the bags. I had only brought three pair of jeans, two pair of shorts and eight t-shirts along with me so far, three of which were sleep shirts (I had underwear too, but I wasn't gonna mention those...). For any special occasions I had a white halter dress with red trim and a cherry print. Eve was bringing me more t-shirts and jeans tomorrow, as well as a few skirts and more dressy clothes too. As I finished folding the clothes, I turned on the tv. There were only four channels. FOUR! One was the weather channel, one a miscellaneous who knows what, a farming help channel and a Mineral Town calendar channel. The last one sounded like it would come in handy more often than not, actually... I have a tendency of forgetting everything. I glanced out the window (which didn't have curtains, by the way. Must fix that ASAP...) and saw it was pitch black outside. Flipping my cell phone open, I saw it was already nine o'clock and I realized I was tired. Deciding to handle the curtain issue tomorrow, I grabbed a nightshirt and changed quickly as far from the window as possible. I set my dirty clothes on top of the chest at the foot of the bed before turning off the light and crawling under the covers. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.


	3. Maybe an Angel

**Chapter 2: Maybe an angel...**

I woke up to my cell phone alarm at six in the morning. The sun was shining through the window as I climbed out of bed and grabbed the dress out of the dresser. I quickly pulled it on and flipped on the tv. According to the weather channel it was going to be sunny all day so I slipped on a pair of wedge sandals. _I hope I make a good impression on these people,_ I thought, running a brush through my shoulder length blonde hair. Satisfied, I stepped outside and found myself face to face with a short, pudgy man wearing a red top hat and a red suit.

"Um, hello?" He was grinning like a mad man and was practically hopping in place.

"You must be Courtney!" His grin widened, if that's possible. "I'm the mayor, Thomas. Remember me?" I nodded even though I had no clue who he was. "I sent you the letter like Al instructed to years ago. I must say, we're all thrilled you're here! Do you need to be shown around?" I shook my head. "Then go on and continue your day!" He skipped (yes, skipped) off into town. I just watched him go, wondering what kind of town had a mayor that nutty.

Deciding to head around town and meet the townsfolk, I started up the path both Trent and the mayor had taken. The air was fresh and kinda chilly; the perfect spring weather if you ask me. After a ten-minute walk I found a turn in the path and followed it. Seeing a large brick building, I knocked. Hearing people inside, I opened the door.

There were two men in the room; one who had to be close to my age and one who had to be at least sixty. They were both leaning into a furnace and the room was unbearably hot. "Hello?" I said quietly. The boy jumped about four foot into the air and turned towards me.

He glared and started to yell. "What's your problem? Can't you see we're working here?!" I blushed. He had really dark blue eyes and hay colored hair hidden under the bill of his hat.

"I didn't know-" I started but the old man stood up and slapped the guy in the head.

"That is no way to treat customers!" He hollered, very loudly. Nothing was wrong with this guy's lungs. Hat crooked, the guy turned back to me and glared more. He opened his mouth to say something else when the old guy started talking again. "Who are you anyway?" He narrowed his pale eyes at me. "I've never seen you before."

"Yes, you have. I'm Courtney Polder, Al's granddaughter. I've come to take over the farm." I stuck out my hand. They both just looked at me.

"You are aware you can't farm in _that_." The old man, whose name should be something like Saibara. If I remembered right, he was the blacksmith. He pointed at my dress.

I flushed in anger. How DARE he insult my dress! Just as I opened my mouth to retort angrily someone opened the door behind me and knocked me flat on my a- I mean butt. Yes. Right on my butt. I looked up from my place on the floor and saw a huge muscle man standing above me. This guy was pure man; his biceps were the size of my head and his chest was... well, it strained to break out of the white tank top he was wearing. He held out a hand and pulled me up, making me shiver.

"Sorry 'bout that!" he said, chuckling. "Didn't expect a pretty little thing like you to be standing in front of the door. You okay?" I nodded, and turned back to the blacksmith.

"Now, Saibara, isn't it?" He nodded. "Here's a warning. Do not ever insult my wardrobe again. Ever." Looking over at the boy, I tried to place who he was. "And what's your grandson's name?"

"You could ask me who I am." Hat boy muttered, crossing his arms.

"Fine! Guy with the hat, what is your name?" I heard Muscles laugh behind me.

"I'm Gray, apprentice blacksmith. Now will you leave?" Saibara smacked him again and he scowled. "Please?" Something clicked and I remembered seeing Gray every summer at the blacksmith's. He visited during his vacation then went back to school in the fall.

I snarled. "It would be my pleasure." Turning to stomp out the door I walked into a wall. Oh, wait. No, I walked into Muscles. "Sorry..." I said, sighing.

"No problem. I'm Zack." He extended his hand. Grinning, I took it, my arm feeling tingly, in a good way.  
"I'm Courtney Polder. I'm taking over the old farm down there."

"Really? I guess I'll be seeing a lot more of you then! I collect shipments of crops, dairy products, ect. I'll stop by everyday at five, except for holidays."

"Cool! I look forward to seeing you again!" I said, releasing his hand and heading to the door. Behind me I heard Gray mutter something about getting a room and I turned around and glared. He shut up and looked down at the floor as I walked outside.

_Zack is nice, Saibara's a freak and Gray's a jerk. He wasn't that rude as a child... I think. He's not that much older than me though... Oh well. I don't like him._ I thought as I continued down the road towards the Poultry Farm. How, you may ask, did I know it was a Poultry Farm? Well, the giant sign hanging over its entrance with a chicken on it was a pretty decent clue. A guy with shoulder length chestnut hair was feeding a flock of chickens as I passed under the sign. I think he was wearing an apron. He looked up as I headed towards him.

"Hello!" He called, squinting. He had glasses and I don't think they were working for him. At least, not well. I waved. "Who might you be?"

Deciding to ignore the funny way he talked, I smiled. "I'm Courtney Polder. I live at the farm down the road."

"Really? That's great! Do you like chickens?" He asked earnestly. I nodded and he jumped up and down, clapping. I raised an eyebrow. "Well, welcome to the poultry farm. Come inside and meet my family." I followed him at a distance, mildly creeped out. This guy was making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Inside, sitting at the counter was a woman with cotton candy pink hair and blue eyes. She smiled as I came in.

"Hello dear. You must be Al's granddaughter." I nodded and her smile brightened. "Your grandfather was a great man. Whenever I wasn't able to get all the work done here, he would come and make sure everything got finished. He was very kind. We all loved him."

I grinned. "That's my Papa. I miss him so much sometimes."

She nodded sagely. "I understand. Popuri?" she called up the stairs. A girl a year or two younger than me came pounding down the stairs.

"Yes, Mommy?" She had her mother's hair and a pair of ruby red eyes. Seeing me, she ran closer. "Hello! I'm Popuri!"

"I'm Courtney. I like your dress." I said, grinning. She was wearing a black dress with a red corset top. It was really cool, and I'm not even a fan of Gothic style clothes.

"I like yours too!" she chirped, giggling.

The guy from outside interrupted. "I'm sure Courtney needs to meet the other villagers, right?" I nodded. "I will escort her out." He offered me his arm and I glanced back at Popuri. She stuck her tongue out at her brother and waved to me.

"Bye Courtney. It was nice meeting you." I smiled and opened my mouth as the guy dragged me out of the house.

"Sorry about my sister. I'm sure she was annoying you." He flipped his hair.

"No, Popuri seems nice! I like her."

"Oh, no need to lie. I know she's childish."

_Time to change the subject_, I thought, sighing. "You never told me your name."

He brightened. "I'm Rick!" We reached the farm entrance.

"Nice meeting you Rick." I waved. "See you around some time." He looked ready to protest so I headed off quickly. There was a dairy farm up ahead so I stopped there. A little girl who looked about five was playing in the yard with a dog, the cows grazing in the field around them. I smiled, watching them play. After a while the girl noticed me. I waved and she ran over to me, the dog yapping at her heels.

"Hello! Welcome to Yodel Farm! Do you need to see Grandpa?" Smiling brightly, she tugged on my hand. Laughing, I let her pull me over to the house. "Grandpa! Grandpa!"

"What is it, May?" A bald, wrinkly head popped up from under the counter. "I'm busy here!" Noticing me, he jumped up. "Oh, dear. So sorry miss. Didn't see you there!" Chuckling nervously, he glared at May. Her smile dimmed and she looked down at the ground. _Jerk._ I thought, resting my hand on May's shoulder.

"You must be May's grandfather! She's such a sweet girl, bringing me here to meet you. I was a little lost before she ran over to help me!" I squeezed her shoulder gently. "I'm Courtney, Al's granddaughter. Remember me?" This was Barley... but I don't remember him being such a grump. "How's Joanna?"

His gaze grew cold. "May, did you leave Hannah outside?" She nodded. "Please bring her in, alright?" Nodding again, she ran out the door, black pigtails flying behind her. He turned back to me. "She left. Came by when May was a toddler and left. Didn't take May with her either."

"That's awful!" Thinking back at the cheerful little girl who had just went outside, I bit my tongue. "If you ever need any help with her, I'd be glad to help." I said, catching his eye. He nodded as May came back in, puppy at her heels.

"So, Courtney," Barley bent down to pet the dog. "What brings you up this way?"

"I'm taking over Grandpa's farm. It looks like I've got my work cut for me though." May looked up at me.

"You're a farmer? Like with plants and animals?" she asked, curious. I nodded and her eyes widened. "I thought farming was for boys!"

I laughed. "Who told you that? I'm gonna fix up that land and make it the best farm these people have ever seen!"

"Can I help?"

"Of course. I'd love help. Goddess knows I'll need it. In fact..." I looked at Barley, an idea forming in my head. "How about you come with me and help introduce me to your neighbors?" Barley smiled. "It would be fun!"

"Grandpa, can I? Please?!" He nodded and she squealed happily. "Let's go!"

As she pulled me out the door I waved at Barley. "I'll bring her home soon, okay?" He just laughed.

"Drop her off at the church and she can get home on her own. You're an angel, girl." and shooed us away. We started walking deeper into town and she kept talking a mile a minute, about the kitten at the Inn and her 'bestest friend, Stu'. I just grinned and listened to her. _She is soooo a clone of me at that age, _I thought as she launched into a tale about when she tried to meet the Harvest Goddess. _I did the same thing then too, only I ended up needed rescued by one of the village boys. _Brown eyes shining, she looked up at me. "Tell me about when you were growing up! I bet you had all types of fun!"

"Hmm... which story should I tell you first? The one where I climbed the honey tree to steal the beehive or the one where I tried to teach the chickens to fly?"

"The chicken story!"

"Alright then!" We were in the town square as I told her about the time I climbed onto the roof of the chicken coop with a chicken under my arm, my six-year-old self-having every intention of tossing it in the air to see it fly. "Had Papa not stopped me, the chicken could've seriously been hurt. As my punishment he threatened to leave me up on the roof!" May gasped and I laughed. "It was no big deal. I jumped down. Scraped up me knee and had to go see Dr. Harvey. Actually, I saw him a lot as a child..." She giggled as we turned left out of the square. Up ahead was a huge brick building. "What's that?" I asked, pointing. I thought it was the Inn, but I wasn't really sure.

"That's the Inn! Doug owns it. Ann lives there too and she's really nice. She brings us snacks when me and Stu play with Carter!"

"Ann's still here? I haven't seen her in so long... She always refused to wear a dress. The one time Doug got her to wear when we were seven. I think it was the month I had to leave. Soon as he got it on her she ran outside and jumped into a mud hole."

"Really?" May asked as I pushed open the Inn door. I nodded as we walked in.

"Hello! Welcome to-" The girl speaking slowly stopped and just looked at us. "No way. DAD! DAD, COME HERE!" May and I just looked at each other. A redheaded man came out of the backroom, holding a mug and a towel.

"Yes, Ann? What is it now?!" He saw us and froze. Speechless, the two of them just stared.

"May? What's wrong with them?"

"I don't know..." she looked between the two of them nervously.

"Is it her?" Ann asked quietly.

"I think so." He sounded totally amazed. At this confirmation Ann dropped the plate she was holding and hurled herself forward.

"COURTNEY!!!" Screaming, she pulled me into a bear hug. "It's been so long!"

"Ann! Can't! Breathe!" I gasped out. She loosened her grip slightly. Once I was able to breathe, I hugged her back. "I've missed you."

"After Papa Al died and you left town wasn't the same! Wait 'til you see everyone!" She let me go, tears in her bright blue eyes. "Who've you seen so far?"

"Well, I reintroduced myself to Saibara and his grandson, who is a major jerk. I also met Zack. He's a really nice guy. I met Rick, Lilia and Popuri. How long have they been here? Oh, and I've been to Yodel Farm." I gestured to May, who smiled shyly. "May's showing me around town."

Doug came over and wrapped his arms around me. "Sweetie, it's been too long." Doug had been like a father to me while I lived in Mineral Town. My real father had left when I was a baby and my mom had crumbled under the pressure of being a single mother. By the time I was two my mother couldn't handle it anymore and left me with my grandfather. The town adopted me and helped raise me, and looking down at May's sad face, I realized that I wanted to help her the way they had helped me. "Are you girls hungry? Let me run in the back and make you a snack."

"May? Are you hungry?" She nodded and I grinned up at Doug. "Do you have any of your cheesecake?"

He laughed. "I'm glad you're back." He disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Well, Courtney, May, let's sit down and talk!" We all settled in at a table. "You look so different though. I can't believe it! I remember the little blonde who always had her hair in pigtails and tried to meet the Goddess. Remember that?" she asked, laughing. I grinned. "May, want to hear what Courtney did when we were your age? She couldn't swim but she still tried to go into the middle of the pond and talk to the Goddess. She was splashing around and trying to stay afloat. If Trent hadn't been on a break from studying..." She shook her head. "We were crazy back then."

"I tried that too! I just didn't go into the water!" May's eyes were wide as Doug headed back out with three slices of cheesecake. Setting them down in front of us, he winked and headed back into the kitchen.

"Well guys, let's dig in!" We were quiet as we inhaled the creamy cake. "Good Goddess, Ann. Your father is a great cook!" May nodded in agreement and Ann just grinned. While we ate, someone climbed down the stairs. Looking up, I saw a guy, who must have been at least twenty-two. He had dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail. He looked a little depressed; his chocolate brown eyes showed worry and sorrow. He caught my gaze and blushed. I waved at him. Ann glanced up and saw him. Choking on the food in her mouth, she turned bright red.

"Ann? Are you alright?" The guy hurried over.

Coughing, she nodded. "I'm fine. Just took too big a bite." Her face as red as her hair, she stared down at her plate. The guy looked concerned. Looking back at me, his concern turned to confusion.

"Hey. I'm Courtney." I waved slightly. May giggled at the look on Ann's face.

"Cliff..."

"What brings you to a small town like this?" I asked cheerfully.

"Traveling. You?"

"I own a farm now!"

"Oh."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You're a regular chatterbox..." Ann shot me a look. "Well... look at the time! May, should we head back out?" I nudged her leg. She nodded. "Well, Ann... It's been good catching up!"

"Stop by later. I'll get all the girl's together and we'll really catch up." Still staring at Cliff, she didn't notice the look I shared with May.

"Well, bye." We waved and headed outside. "Wow. That was amazing. I can't believe Ann has a crush! I can still remember her whole, 'guy's have cooties' phase."

"He seems shy. I've only seen him once or twice." May looked thoughtful, twirling her pigtail in her fingers.

"You're right. He wasn't exactly sociable." Up ahead was a smaller wooden building. The sign said 'Aja's Winery'. "Doesn't Duke and Manna own the winery?"

"Yeah. I don't like Duke though. He's always drunk." She made a face.

"Manna gossips a lot too, doesn't she?"

"Yeah. She talks about my mommy sometimes..."

I frowned. "People like that are everywhere, you just need to learn how to ignore them. Both my parents ended up leaving. That's how I ended up here with Papa." I smiled sadly. "Someday I'll tell you the story, okay?"

"I didn't mean to make you sad..."

"It's no big deal. I'm fine." I forced a smile. "Let's go talk to Duke."

I pushed open the heavy wooden door to screams and the sound of breaking glass. "Hello?" I called out, May clutching my hand. The screaming stopped and a woman with long black hair came running forward. Her dark eyes were red and puffy.

"Hello, welcome to Aja's winery! How can I help you?" Realizing she didn't recognize me, she stopped, puzzled. "You must be the new farmer."

I laughed. "Sort of. I can't believe you don't recognize me!" I stuck out my hand. "It's me, Manna. Courtney Polder."

"Courtney? Oh dear, now I feel so foolish for not realizing who you must be! I'm so sorry!" Just then Duke came thumping down the stairs, his eyes bloodshot,

"What's going on down here?!" He stumbled slightly as he looked from me to May to Manna. "Did that worthless woman finally come to get her daughter?" My mouth dropped open as May's eyes filled with tears. Stepping forward, I slapped Duke across the face.

"You good for nothing drunk! You haven't changed a bit since I was last here!" Duke raised a trembling hand up to his cheek.

Angry, he turned to Manna. "Who is this?! Why is she in our house?!"

"Manna, it was good seeing you again. I hope we have a chance to talk later, and catch up, but for now I need to meet everyone else. I'll see you soon, alright?" She nodded and a smile flitted across her face as we left again.

"May, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit him." The little girl was unusually quiet as we headed up the road. "Are you alright?" She nodded, holding my hand tighter. We were coming up in front of the library before she spoke again.

"He's not a nice man." She spoke quietly and into the ground.

"I know, I know. It's alright." I had the strong urge to return to the Winery and pop Duke in the face again for making May upset. I held open the library door and we both walked in. A girl with long blue-black hair and hazel eyes hidden behind glasses was sitting at a desk, writing in a notebook. She glanced up as the door closed behind us.

"Hello. You must be Courtney. The girls have been very excited for your return. Hello May." She waved to her. Even though she couldn't have been more than two or three years older than me she seemed much more mature and sophisticated.

"That I am. I've come to take over my grandfather's farm. I've never met you before though. You must have moved her after I left."

She nodded. "That's right. We moved here three years ago. My father, Basil, is a botanist and decided to study the plant life around here. I'm Mary. I run the library and write stories part time."

"You're a writer? That's amazing!"

She blushed. "Not really. I've never had anything published or anything." She gestured at the notebook in front of her. "This is mainly a collection of short stories and poems I've written. I have three or four novels that I've started but never finished."

"What kind of stories do you write?" I asked, curious.

"Well, mostly fantasy slash romance. For Stu's birthday last year I wrote a children's book on faeries."

May gasped. "You wrote that?" Mary nodded. "I loved that book! Maybe someday you could write me a story too!"

Smiling, Mary opened her mouth when the library door opened again. Gray walked in, the bill of his hat over his eyes. "Hello Mary." She turned pink and mumbled out a greeting. Looking between the two of them I started to giggle uncontrollably. Gray looked up and saw me leaning up against the staircase. "You!" He sputtered out, turning purple.

"Me," I said, examining my nails. May giggled and Mary looked confused. As he opened his mouth again I held up my hand. He kept silent. "Alright. here's the deal. I am here to run a farm. I'm not here to be your enemy. I'm sorry I interrupted your work this morning. Honestly, think back. I'm not the annoying little five-year-old girl who followed you around trying to get you to make her a necklace. Remember that?" He nodded, smiling a bit. "I'm all grown up now. I'll try not to get in your way, but I'd still like to be your friend. Is that okay with you?" He nodded. Grinning, I held out my hand. "Okay, let's shake on it." He grabbed my hand and I could feel the calluses from holding all those heavy tools. I glanced up at the clock. "Well, Mary, Gray, I'm afraid May and I need to be going. It was nice to meet you and I'm glad we've settled out our differences. If you ever need anyone to read what you've done so far, I'd love to read it for you Mary." I waved to both of them and May followed me outside.

As soon as the library door closed May and I both burst out into laughter. "I hope he doesn't still hate me." I said, stretching my back.

"You used to follow him around because you wanted him to make you a necklace?" May was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

I grinned. "I also followed Trent, the doctor around because I wanted him to read books to me when I was about four. He was ten or so, so it didn't work well in my favor." We came up to another house and May ran up to the door. She yanked it open and ran inside.

"Stu! Stu! Where are you?!" She headed back into a back room.. I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall. A few minutes later May ran back out with a boy who looked to be about five too. "Courtney, this is Stu! He's my bestest friend!" Stu smiled shyly up at me. He had chocolate brown eyes and mouse brown hair and a ton of freckles on the bridge of his nose. To be honest, he looked like the male version of Elli as a five year old.

"Hello Stu. Did you know, you look like one of my good friends, Elli." Stu made a face.

"Elli's my sister! I don't look like a girl!" He stuck out his tongue.

"Oh? I didn't kn0w Elli had a little brother. I wondered why this house looked so familiar though. Where's Ellen?"

"She's napping in the back room. She always naps in the middle of the day so she can be awake when Elli gets home from work."

"You know where Elli works?" I asked, fighting the urge to mess up his hair.

"She works at the Clinic!" May and Stu answered at the same time.

"Can you guys take me there?" They nodded. "Let's go then." They both ran outside and I followed them. Sure enough, the Clinic was only a building away. We all walked in together.

A bell chimed as the door opened and a small little brunette looked up at her desk. The first thing she noticed was May and Stu. She stood up and rushed over. "On no! Did one of you get hurt? What happened?" She started checking them for injuries.

"Elli! We're fine!" He pulled his arm out of her grasp. "That lady over there asked us to bring her here." Elli looked up and noticed me for the first time. Looking slightly flustered, she blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was afraid the children had hurt themselves. How may I help you?" Looking at her, I had to suppress a laugh. She was about five foot, and she looked absolutely adorable. Her hair was cut into a bob and it gave her a pixie like appearance.

"Elli, dear, I'm insulted. You don't remember me?" I shook my head. "Tsk, tsk. Even Ann recognized me faster than this." The eyes I had noticed were the same as Stu's lit up.

"Courtney?" I nodded, grinning ear to ear. She squealed and ran over and hugged me. I hugged her back, laughing when I realized I had a half a foot on her. "Have you seen Karen yet?"

"No, I decided I'd rather see you first. Plus, May wanted to introduce me to Stu." Just then Trent came out of one of the back rooms.

"Is everything okay out here? I thought I heard something..." He saw me and his voice trailed off. "Wow. You clean up rather well, Courtney." I turned red. Failing to sputter out a response, I glared. He laughed and waved at the kids. "I'll just head back into my office. Have fun catching up."

"Right. Jerk." I muttered under my breath as he left.

"I heard that." I stuck out my tongue at his retreating form. "Saw that too." I blushed as Elli and the kids laughed.

"Anyway, Ann wants us to meet tonight for a chatting session. I'm assuming she's taking care of the details. I'm going to head over to the Supermarket and see Karen."

"Would you mind dropping the kids off at the church? It's right next-door. Carter watches them during the day." I nodded.

"Come on guys." Waving to Elli, we left the clinic and headed to the church. After introducing myself to the redheaded pastor and dropping off the kids, I headed back to store. As I pushed open the door to the shop I remembered the day Karen and I snuck into the store's supply of baking chocolate. I laughed, remembering how sick we were. I stepped into the warm room with a smile. A woman with golden blonde hair pulled into a bun was reorganizing the bakery display and a pale man with dark hair was standing at the register. They both looked up when the door thumped closed. Sasha recognized me first, running over and wrapping me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, Courtney, it's been so long! You look just like your mother, you do! You have your grandfather's eyes, though." She held me away at arms length, her amber eyes filling with tears. Jeff scurried over and patted me clumsily on the back.

"It's been eleven years, hasn't dear?" Jeff said, smiling. I felt my own eyes well up with tears so I kept quiet and just hugged them back. _Mama, if you're still out there,_ _I'm home. This is where I belong._

"How's Karen?" I asked, wiping my eyes.

"She's pretty good, thanks for asking." I whirled around and found myself face to face with her. Her golden hair hung down to her back and her green eyes were sparkling the way they had when we were little and she had one of her plans that usually ended with us benig grounded. "Well? Are you just gonna stand there and stare or are you gonna give me a hug?"

I grinned and pulled her into a hug. "Goddess knows how much I missed you."

"Goddess knows how much we missed you. All that time went by and there were never any letters..."

"Karen, that I can explain, and I will, tonight. Ann wants us all to get together tonight and talk. I have a lot to tell you." She grinned.

"Same here." The clock over the door said it was three o'clock.

"Let's meet at the Inn at seven. I need to get a little work down tonight." Karen shook her head.

"No, tonight is for us. You can't get much down in an hour, cause it would take you that long to get home and that long to walk back. The three of us would rather help you tomorrow than have you run around town all day."

"Alright then. I'll work tomorrow. While I'm here though... can I buy some seeds?"

Sasha walked over to the seed display and grabbed a few of each packs. "This should be enough to get you started, alright?" As soon as I reached into my pocket she shook her head. "No, I don't want you to pay for these. These are simply to help you get off to a decent start." I took the seeds and put the packs in my pocket.

"Thanks, Sasha."

"No problem. You're like a daughter to us, you know that."

I smiled again, and wiped my eyes. "I'm going to run these back home. I'll meet you girls back up at the Inn at seven, alright?"

Karen nodded. "See you then. Be prepared to spill it all!" I grinned and nodded, heading back outside into the sunshine.

* * *

Eve was lying on my bed reading a magazine when I pulled open my front door. Glancing up, she waved and resumed reading. I rolled my eyes and shoved the clothes off the trunk at the foot of the bed. Tossing the seed packets into it, I let the heavy lid thump shut.

"About time you got here." Eve said coolly, flipping the page.

"Sorry. I got caught up seeing the people I'd left behind." I smiled to myself, anticipating the girl's night out we planned on having. "Besides, you brought your own amusement, it seems."

She shrugged and set down the magazine. Standing, she smoothed the wrinkles out of her lilac wrap skirt. I rolled my eyes again. "I was hit on by the most disgusting man on the planet. My taxi driver." She shuddered. "It was gross. I did convince him to help me carry your stuff up here though. Some mountain guy helped too."

"Did he look like a grizzly?" She nodded and I laughed. "That's Gotz. He's a piece of work."

"Either way. I went shopping for you." Pulling her long blonde hair into a ponytail, she gestured over by the fridge with her elbow. My mouth dropped open; besides the suitcase and two duffel bags she was supposed to bring, there was a garbage bag and six large shopping bags as well as a handful of small ones.

"Eve! What did you do, buy out a store?!" I sputtered out. Turning to her, I threw my hands up into the air. "I can't pay you back for this! You've done so much for me, I can't accept more! I mean, you guys took me in for six years. This isn't fair!"

She sighed. "You idiot. Calm down. You're family now. You need to relax. Besides, I've seen your wardrobe. It needs helped." She reached into the garbage bag and pulled out two beanbag chairs, one daisy yellow and one sky blue. "See? Some of this is just stuff that was sitting in our attic. You don't want us to have to throw them out, right?"

"Well, yeah, but..." She pulled out a box and handed it to me. I opened it and found a note sitting on top of my stuffed wolf I'd had since I was little.

"Read the note."

I quickly scanned through it.

Dear Courtney:

If we know you even a fraction of what we think we do, than we know you'll try to avoid accepting these clothes and other little things. Honey, you're like a daughter to us. We want you to be happy. None of this stuff is very expansive, and, either way, we can afford it. You've had a horribly rough childhood and this is our way of setting your adulthood off to the right start. Please, accept this stuff for us. You've been so sweet, it's the least we can do.

Love,

Mr. and Mrs. Leono

PS: We will not accept money for any of this stuff

I looked at Eve. "This isn't fair."

"Course it is. Help me unpack."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "You're as bad as your mother." She pulled out a laptop. "No. I won't take it."

She sighed. "Relax. It's one of Jerry's old ones." She set it on the bed. "Where do you want this?" Holding up a jewelry box, she saw the nightstand. "That'll work." I knelt down beside the bags and started going through the clothes.

Eve sat down next to me. "Why did you guys do this?" I asked, holding up a pair of faded jeans. They looked uber comfortable.  
"Because, for a child who started working at age thirteen and socking away every penny, you're unbelievably poor. So, that implied you were doing something with that money, especially after you got that call from your mom and then emptied your bank account the next day." I gaped at her and she shrugged. "Dad's an attorney. He knows these things. Besides, you lived on the street for lord knows how long, since you won't tell us. It's not right."

I blinked back tears. "I didn't want to cause you guys to do this!"

"You didn't. It's not your fault your mom did what she did. It was horrible. We're trying to even the score." She put her arm around my shoulder. "Come on, buck up. Let's go through these clothes." I nodded and we got back to work. Next thing I knew we had gone through every bag and the sun was beginning to set. I glanced at the clock.

"Oh, biscuits!" I yelled, jumping up. It was 6:40. "I need to get up to the Inn. Eve, wanna come?" She raised an eyebrow. "You can meet my old friends. Or, do you want to head home now? You could always stay the night if you don't want to leave."

"Maybe another time. I need to get home; Mom is leaving for a trip tomorrow anyway, so I should be there to see her off." She hugged me. "Be careful out here, okay?" I nodded. Pulling back, she smiled. "You're like a sister to me. Never forget that."

"I won't..." She waved and left, skirt swishing. I looked back at the clock. It said 6:47. "Dang it!" Sliding on my sandals, I ran outside. The air was cool on my bare arms as I sprinted down the road. Once the Inn was finally in sight I slowed down, catching my breath. Pushing open the heavy door, I walked into something and lost my balance. Hitting the ground with a _thump_, I yelped. "Ouch..." I looked up and found Zack.

He laughed. "We have got to stop meeting like this!" he said, pulling me back up to my feet and sending my body temperature up about twenty degrees.

I smiled weakly, feeling light headed. "That sounds good to me!" I heard Karen laugh loudly behind him. "Excuse me. I'm meeting the girls here."

"Have fun! I gotta head back to the beach." He waved and disappeared into the night. I grinned sheepishly at the girls. They continued laughing. Grabbing a chair next to Elli, I rolled my eyes at them.

"Hey girls." Ann whispered into Karen's ear and they burst into giggles again. "What?"

Elli shook her head. "Never mind them. They're being weird. Why did he say you two had to stop meeting like that?" I quickly told the story of the meeting and Elli grinned. "That's so cute!" I grimaced and she laughed again. "I bet something's gonna happen!"

"So, Courtney, you know what this means." Karen waved Doug over. "We'll need some food for our gathering. Um, I'll have a chicken sandwich and a Coke. Elli?"

"A salad and a diet Root Beer."

"And I want a hamburger and fries! Don't forget the Dr. Pepper!" Ann said, grinning at her father. He rolled his eyes and turned to me.

"Oh, uh... I don't know..." Flustered, I looked back at the girls. "I'll have what Karen's having, only with a Sprite." He nodded and left. I turned to Karen. "What does _this_ mean, exactly?"

Sighing, she leaned forward. "Now that we're all here, it's time for you to spill your guts. Come on, talk." Karen's bright green eyes met my emerald ones and I looked down at the table.

"Well, after Papa died, someone contacted my mother. She came to get me so she could sell the farm. Once she found out she couldn't she was furious. Sasha and Jeff offered to take me in, and Doug did too, but she decided to spite them all and take me. It wasn't long before she regretted it. She forbade me from writing, and by the time I could've, I didn't know your addresses anymore." I cleared my throat. "By my next birthday I found out why my mom wanted to sell the farm. She was a drug addict." All three girls gasped. "I ran away a little after I turned ten, and stayed on the streets. I kept going to school and that's pretty much where I got my meals. The cafeteria ladies wouldn't accept money from me and would slip me something extra. I lived that way for about two years, until I meet Eve Leono at school. We became fast friends, and her family ended up adopting me. I moved in with them a little before I turned twelve. As soon as I was old enough to get a job, I started working. I started working at a library and babysitting after my thirteenth birthday. Once I turned sixteen I got a job as a waitress during the summer and a cashier during the school year. I saved every penny I made in the hopes of being able to pay the Eve's parents back. I had saved a lot, like, maybe fifteen thousand, when I got the phone call from my mom." I blinked back tears. "She was in jail and needed bail money. I emptied my account and rushed to see her. I payed her bail and she left, not saying a word to me." Elli wrapped me into a hug. "I kept working and managed to save up a little less than three thousand when I got Papa's letter."

"We had no idea..." She said, voice muffled in my hair.

Karen came over and put her arm around my shoulders. "Well, you have us again. We missed you so much while you were gone."

Ann ruffled my hair. "Why aren't I surprised you managed to find your way back to us? I just wish you didn't have to go through all that first." I grinned, wiping my eyes.

"Thanks guys..." I said softly, pulling back. "Now it's your turn. Tell me what I've missed." We spent the next hour giggling over the stories they told. Doug came and went, dropping off the plates. Ann told us about her crush on Cliff and Karen admitted to findind the redheaded pastor really cute. After Elli pointed out that Karen might not be the normal picture of a minister's wife, Karen snapped back, "saying who said anything about marriage?" Elli shyly confessed to crushing on Trent and I spent the whole time smiling. They told me how Mary showed up in town a few years back and was fitting in pretty well with their little group; they all thought I'd get along great with her. We talked about the other new family and how creepy we found Rick.

"Popuri's really nice, but sometimes she acts a little immature..." Elli said, wringing her napkin in her hands. "Lillia's great too. She's very kind and visits my grandmother all the time. The only one who visits more would be Saibara!" We all exchanged looks, grinning.

"Well, that Rick guy is not someone I like. We have a tradition now; every Sunday we go to the hot springs and relax. Once, us three and Mary were there and Rick was spying on us. We were wearing swimsuits, but it was so gross!" Karen said, shuddering. Ann nodded, looking disgusted.

"Than there's Kai..." she said, making a face.

"Who's Kai?"

"He only comes here during the summer." Karen leaned closer. "He's a major flirt, but he's also like, drop dead gorgous. He owns the Sea Shack down by the beach."

"He's a really good cook. I'm surprised he doesn't give Dad a run for his money. Personally, I like the guy. He's really mature and easy to talk to, once you learn to ignore his little comments."

"Every once in a while he stops by and drops something off for Grandma and Stu. I like him too, but for some reason pretty much everyone else seems to hate him."

"Rick really hates him. Says he spends way too much time with Popuri. Honestly, she goes there, and she doesn't even like him, you know, romantically. She's like the only woman in town he doesn't hit on." Karen said, taking a bite of her sandwich. Ann nodded, chewing a ridicously large bite of burger.

"Gray seems to get along with him okay. I was gathering herbs down at the beach for Trent and they walked out of the building, laughing and talking." Elli pointed out, nibbling on her salad.

"Wow, Gray knows how to laugh? I'd have never guessed..." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Did you interupt his work?"

"On accident." I sipped my Sprite.

Ann pointed a fry at me. "There you go. He's mega serious about his work. He's been working with his grandfather for years. It has to get stressful, you know?" I nodded, chewing thoughtfully.

"Oh no..." I looked behind me to see what Karen was looking at, horror struck. Duke was walking towards the counter, eyes bloodshot.

"Hey, Doug. My main man, give me the usual." The alcohol made him loud as he tettered towards a stool.

"Duke, I'm not serving you alcohol if you're already drunk."

"Drunk? I'm not drunk!" He slurred out. "Besides, buddy. I's a fun drunk anywhat!" I snorted, turning back to my dinner. He heard and turned to find me. "Oh, well. Lookie who's here! Blondie! How about you say that to my face?" He tipped backwards on the stool.

I sighed and stood up. "Duke, come on. I'll walk you home."

"What?" he asked, incredously.

"You need to sleep this off. Come on." I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. He slumped forward and I tugged him towards the door. I mouthed the words 'be right back' to the girls and pulled open the heavy door. The air outside was cool. "Duke, what's happened to you? You weren't always like this."

"Aja left..." he muttered, dragging his feet along the path.

"She left when I was a little girl. You still weren't that bad back then."

"She... she called. Hates me, she said. I... ruined. It. Every... everything."

"I doubt you ruined everything. If you don't stop this behavior though, you'll ruin something though. It'll be either your marriage, your business or your health. Aja's a grown woman now. Everything will be okay if you act like a man."

He turned blurry eyes to me. "Who are you? It's like you're an angel... no one tries to help me." I shook my head, exasperatted. Getting an idea, I decided to go along with it.

"That's right. I'm an angel. The Harvest Goddess sent me here to help you. You can't tell anyone what I am. They think I'm human. I can help you."

His eyes widened. Falling to his knees, he grabbed my hands. "Please, angel. Forgive me!"

I shook my head again. "I can only forgive you if you give up drinking. The way you've been, it hurts everyone." I pointed to his house. "Go inside. Talk to your wife. Share good stories of your daughter. Tell Manna you love her. She needs you." He nodded quickly and stood up. Opening the door, he turned and looked back.

"Where'd you go...?" he asked, awed. I bit my tongue. I was kneeling behind the sign to the winery. _If this helps him then I'm a miracle worker, _I thought as I heard the door close and him call for his wife. I stood and headed back to the Inn. _So much had happened, Goddess. I only hope I can help make some things okay._ I entered the Inn and the girls and stood and started clapping. I turned red. Doug joined them and, one by one, everyone else was clapping too. I hurried over to my seat. Grinning at everyone, I bowed and sat down.

"Oh Goddess..." I set my head down on the table.

"What?" Elli looked at me, concerned. I quickly gave them a recap of what just happened. Their mouths dropped open.

"He actually fell for that?" Karen asked, green eyes doubtful. I nodded and massaged my temples.

"Courtney, do you realize you may have managed to get Duke to give up drinking? This is incredible!" Ann said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Elli looked at me, thoughtful. "You know, maybe he's right. Maybe you are an angel." We all just gave her a look. "No, listen. She has the chance to change things here, for good. Maybe you really are an angel."

"I think Trent's had you try one to many of his little medicines." Karen said, flatly. I nodded in agreement. Now Ann looked thoughtful. "Oh, come on! You don't think she's an 'angel' too?"

Ann shook her head slowly. "No, not an angel, but Elli may be right. Remember when we were little, and she always wanted to meet the Goddess? She hasn't given up on that."

"How do you know?" I asked, irritated. I was very aware I was completely human.

"Well, you say 'oh Goddess' instead of 'oh God' and you talk about her." She shrugged. "Eh. I'm just thinking out loud. Never mind." Karen rolled her eyes. I looked at the clock and gasped.

"It's already ten?!" I jumped up. "I need to get home. If you get a chance, feel free to stop by, okay?" They all agreed and waved. I turned and headed to the door. Before it closed behind me, I glanced back. Judging by the expression on Karen's face, they hadn't dropped the angel talk.

I looked up as I walked, watching the stars. Everything was peaceful. Breathing in deep, I spun around in the moonlight, laughing. I remembered how late it was and started to run home, my feet hitting the ground loudly. I skidded to a stop in front of my door and pulled it open. Earlier Eve and I had found the closet; it was hidden behind a fake wall. I pulled a shirt out of the dresser and pulled off the dress. Tossing it in the general direction of the closet, I pulled on the night shirt. Slipping off the sandals, I flipped the light switch and climbed into bed, falling asleep instantly.


	4. Out of Commission

**Chapter 3: Out of Commission**

I woke up with the sun shining in through my window into my eyes. Groaning, I rolled over and pulled the pillow over my head. "No... it's too early..." I glanced at the clock and sighed. It was only 5:47. "Fine! I'm up! I'm awake!" Kicking off the blankets, I stood up and stumbled sleepily over towards my closet. Pulling out a pair of faded jeans, I yawned, closing the closet and shuffling over to the dresser. I grabbed out a white tank top. "Time for a shower..." I said, rubbing my eyes. I opened the bathroom door and turned on the water. The mirror over the sink began to fog up as I yanked my sleep shirt over my head. I stepped into the stream of hot water and tried to clear my mind.

"I'm so tired..." I moaned, washing my face. Reaching down, I grabbed my shampoo bottle and squirted some in my hand, scrubbing my hair. I breathed in deeply, letting the steam unfog my brain. "What am I going to do today?" I wondered out loud. "I need to clear the field before I can plant anything, but I need to plant things in orfer to make any money. Plus, I need to go grocery shopping..." I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower and dried off. After I got dressed I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail and headed back into the living room. I opened the fridge and sighed. It was completely empty, save for a loaf of bread. "Well, I suppose it's better than nothing..." I broke a chunk off and bit into it. Grimacing, I swallowed it. It was beyond stale. I threw the rest of it into the garbage can and opened the tool chest. I pulled out a rucksack and looked inside it. There was a watering can and a hoe inside. Lying on its side in the chest was an ax. I picked it up and set it in the rucksack and headed outside into the sun.

Squinting in the bright light, I yawned again. Heading over to the field I pulled out the ax and laid it down. There were branches everywhere; it looked like a tree had exploded. I sighed and reached down and gathered some of the smaller ones into my arms. I headed over to the woodbin and dropped them in with a thump. Wiping the sweat off my face, I headed back to the field. "This is gonna take forever..." I muttered, gathering another handful of branches.

"Need help?" I yelped and dropped the handful of twigs. Whirling around, I found myself face to face with Zack. He had a huge grin on his face as he knelt down and began gathering up the bigger logs.

"Don't you have to work?" I asked, grinning back at him and picking up my twigs.

He shook his head, his brown eyes warm. "Nope. I don't start my rounds until about four anyway. I figured you'd need the help, at least until you get into the swing of things here. Was I right?"

I blew my bangs out of my eyes. "You have no idea how right you really were." He laughed and we walked over to the woodbin. He tossed his logs in like they were pillows. I gently set mine in and leaned in to straighten the pile. "I... can't... reach... Ack!" I flipped into the bin, landing painfully on the log pile.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked, looking down at me, concern lighting up in his eyes.

"Fantastic. Can you get me out of here...?" I raised my hand and he grasped it and pulled me out. Wincing, I stretchd my back, feeling a muscle tug. "Ow..."

"Are you sure you're alright? I can take you to Trent and have him check, you know, that you didn't break anything."

"No, it's fine. I'm good."

"Really? I'd feel better if you went to see Trent..." he trailed off, looking around wildly.

"Alright, how about this; You help me here, and then about two I'll head up to the grocery store and check in with Trent on my way home. That way I can still get my work done and my groceries bought, okay?"

"If you're sure, but I'm coming with you to see Trent. I want to make sure you're okay," he said firmly. "Plus, I have the feeling that left on your own you wouldn't go."

I grinned. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," he said, rolling his eyes. I laughed and we got back to work. I started to gather some more branches until Zack grabbed my arm. I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat. "I don't want you to overstrain your back. Leave the sticks to me." I opened my mouth to protest and he clamped his hand over it. "How about you pull these weeds? If you make a pile of them then we can make a compost pile. Alright?" I nodded mutely, waiting for him to release both my arm and my mouth. Grinning, he let go of me and I swatted at his arm.

"Don't ever try to silence me. I don't like it." He just laughed as I stuck my tongue out at him. I started tugging at the weeds while he made trips from the field to the woodbin. We worked like that in a comfortable silence for about a half hour. "So, Zack. What brought you to Mineral Town?"

"Oh. Well, my best friend did. His name is Rod. He's Lillia's husband. We worked together, and he helped me out of trouble. I owe him a lot."

"He wasn't at the Poultry Farm when I went there yesterday... does he work there with them?" I asked, losing my balance as I pulled out a pricker weed. I winced as my butt hit the ground, senting a wave of pain up my back. Glancing quickly up at Zack, I sighed in relief that he hadn't noticed.

"Lillia's not very healthy. She's very prone to things as simple as colds. Rod left about eight years ago to find a plant that's supposed to help cure her. He hasn't contacted us since." Zack got quiet and stared out over the river.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. You didn't make him abandon his family after a myth instead of spending his time with them." Standing up abruptly, he walked to the woodbin and threw the logs in. I tossed the weed into the rather large pile and stood up, grimacing at a muscle spasm.

"Zack..." I walked over to him and rested my hand on his arm. "It's... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something so painful for you. Lillia didn't stike me as sick. She seems really nice, and I don't think she wants you tearing yourself up over what Rod's done. He made his own decisions. Don't blame yourself."

He raised his head and looked at me. I felt my legs go all jelly-like and grabbed on to the woodbin to keep from collapsing. "You don't look like someone who has all the answers," he said, his voice husky. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You could say that..." I said, feeling slightly dizzy. Just as my legs collapsed he grabbed my shoulders and leaned towards me. "Zack..." Realizing where we were, and what he was about to do, he let go and I fell. "You know... it seems like everytime I'm around you I end up on the ground. Have you noticed this?" I asked, looking up at him. He was bright red and breathing heavily. "Zack?" Jerking back, he bent down and picked me up. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

"This is the third time you've fallen. You're going to see Trent." He started towards the road, me in his arms.

"By my count it's only been two," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I saw you fall when you were pulling those weeds." I opened my mouth to argue but he continued. "I also saw how when you hit the ground, you winced and checked to see if I had noticed. Well, I did."

"Drat. Well, I can walk. I'm capable of that at least." I pointed out, not willing to admit that being in his arms felt good and I really wasn't sure my legs would have actually been able to hold me after this much contact with Zack's extremely muscular chest.

"With your track record you'd end up flat on your ass again." I made a face and he laughed as we passed the Winery. Duke was standing in the field picking grapes. He looked up and saw us. I waved, smiling weakly. Looking confused, he turned back to his fruit.

"What will the townspeople think, you carrying a strange girl around town? What's to stop me from yelling and calling you a kidnapper? Did you think about that, hot stuff?" I asked, looking around, feigning boredom, while in actuallity every inch of me felt like it was on fire.

"Well, you _are_ strange, but not in the way you were implying. If you were actually struggling people might believe you, but you look a bit too content to be a kidnapping victim. And, no, I hadn't thought about that, sweet thing."

My heart skipped and I sighed. _Damn. He's right. I am too content right here. Maybe Trent can give me something to get Zack off my mind._ "Wait... I still need to do my shopping!"

"It can wait."

"What?! No it can't! I don't have any food! This morning I had a bite of stale bread! That's it! I need food!" I said, squirming.

"I'll take you to Doug's afterward. Relax." Grinning, Zack tightened his hold on me.

"That's not the point..." I muttered, giving up. His grin widened and I contemplated hitting him. "You suck. I wanna go home."

"Too bad. We're here," he said, shifting me so I was hanging over his back like a sack of flour so he could open the door.

"Put me down! I do NOT enjoy being man-handled!" I heard girlish giggling and i groaned. "Elli! Help me!"

"Um... Zack?" I heard Elli ask, trying (and failing) to keep her laughter quiet.

"Yes?" I could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Why do you have Courtney hanging over your shoulder like a sack of flour?" Completely losing it, she starts snorting.

"Well... you see, it all started..." Zack was interrupted by Trent.

"What the hell?! Elli, what's going on?! Zack, why do you have a girl slung over your shoulder like a bag of potatoes?!" Trent yelled.

"Get me down! I'm getting dizzy!" I shrieked, beating Zack's back with my fists. It did no good.

"Courtney? What's going on?!" Trent sounded shocked and confused.

"You see, that's what happened." After a twenty minute account of what had happened, with me _still_ hanging down Zack's back, Elli decided I could be trusted to stand on my own. Of course, because my luck absolutely sucks, the second Zack set me down I fell, he picked me up again and cradled me against his chest. I kept sending Elli _Save me! Help me! Do something!_ vibes but she wasn't picking up.

"Well, I could give her an examination, I suppose... Courtney, what do you think?"

I shot up and opened my mouth when _Clap_! Zack immediately covered it so I couldn't speak. "She thinks it's a fantastic idea and thinks you should do it right now so I can take her to Doug's for a bite to eat."

"Mmm! Mnmn!" I squirmed, trying to get free but to no avail. Failing escape, I crossed my arms angrily across my chest and leaned back, pouting.

"See? She agrees." Trent just shook his head and motioned for Zack to follow him. Once we were in the examination room Trent closed and locked the door and Zack removed his hand from my mouth.

Lips tingling, I immediately began to express my unhappiness. "What are you doing?! I'm fine! I'm totally okay! I have work I need to get done, which I can't do if I'm here!" I whisper-yelled at him, trying to ignore Trent's eavesdropping.

"Oh, hush yourself! You got more down today with my help then you would've gotten on your own. I'll be there tomorrow to help too, so calm down!" he whisper-yelled right back. I glared at him and he glared at me, the air crackling with electricity.

"Are the lovers done quarreling?" Trent asked, grinning evilly. I sent him an extreme hate glare as Zack jolted back, almost dropping me. I shreiked and threw my arms around Zack's neck to keep from falling. Our faces inches apart, the intensity deepened as he dipped his head towards mine. Without thinking, I tilted my head up. "As good as the policy 'kiss and make-up' is, we have no PDA tolerance here." We both pulled away. My cheeks burning, I stared intently into Zack's chest, refusing to meet his eyes. "Now, I'm sure you'll both be disappointed by this, but... Zack, you need to put her down." Reluctantly Zack lowered me to the ground, holding on to my arms to make sure I wasn't going to fall again.

Once I was steady on my feet I whispered "Thanks..." in Zack's ear and he smiled at me and let go of my arms. I turned and faced Trent. "Well, Doctor? What says you?"

He winced at my horrible grammar and I grinned, feeling victorious. "From what Zack described, it sounds like you pulled a muscle in your lower back. I'm going to need you to lift up your shirt." I heard Zack growl from behind me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I asked, hearing an echo. Glancing behind me, I did a double take. Zack had a scary, thunderous expression on his face and looked ready to throttle the 'Good Doctor'. "How will that help you?"

"Relax, Zack. If it will make you two feel more... _comfortable_... then he can do the examination. I'll even turn around." Trent did just that. I looked at Zack, confused. "Okay, Courtney, you need to lift up your shirt."

"Um... how far up is _up_?" I asked, feeling a little bit more uncomfortable then I had a second ago.

"Up to your rib cage."

"Okay..." I pulled up the tank top until it was just below my ribs. "There. I'm done. Can I leave now?"

"No. Zack, you need to feel along her lower back and see if any muscle is sore or tender. Can you handle this or shall I do it?"

"I got it..." Next thing I knew I felt Zack's hands gently push against my back. Each touch jolted all the way up my spine and I gasped. Instantly Zack pulled away. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. "You have a huge bruise here..." he said, running his finger lightly over the spot. I bit my tongue. He continued to run his fingers up and down my back and I tried my best not to make a sound. He pressed a little harder and found the spot. I gasped as my legs buckled. He caught me and pulled me against him. "Are you okay?"

"I think you found the pulled muscle..." I said quietly, wiping my eyes. Trent turned back around and walked over. Zack's big hands pulled my shirt back down while I stood there, trying not to cry.

"Well, I can prescribe a painkiller for you, but you'll have to take a week off of farm work."

"Are you kidding?! I can't take a week off! I just started! I'll be behind for ever! This isn't fair!" I yelled, reaching back for Zack's hand. He squeezed my hand softly.

"If you do any work, it would have to be low impact work. That means, no wood chopping, no heavy lifting and tilling."

"What can I do then?!" I asked, near tears.

"What about weeding?" Zack asked quietly.

"Hmm... that would be okay only if she didn't overstrain herself. Frequent breaks would be required."

"I can make sure she does." Zack confidently. I closed my eyes and leaned up against him. "Do you want me to stop up here later for the prescription? I can stop by after my rounds."

"That sounds good. Hey, Courtney? I need you to step out for a minute. Can you go keep Elli company? It'll just be a minute." I opened my eyes and looked at Zack. He nodded and I headed to the door on wobbly feet. Pulling the door shut behind me, I heard Zack and Trent both start talking at once.

"Courtney? What's wrong?" Elli walked over to me and grabbed my hand. "Come sit down and tell me what's happening."

"I pulled a muscle in my back. I can't work for at least a week. I just got here and I'm already behind and in major pain! Plus, Zack's driving me nuts!"

"Oh yeah? How?" Elli asked, sitting on a sofa in the waiting room. I sat in the chair next to her and winced when my back hit the seat.

"I don't know! He's aggravating, but he's so sweet! Plus, he... well... you see... Argh!" I tugged on my ponytail. "Whenever he looks at me, or touches me I just... I spazz. I completely freak. The heart just goes off and my stomach drops and I feel sick, like nauseous, but in a good way, almost. When he was holding me... he carried me all the way from my farm here! I just... I don't know! He... I think he almost kissed me. Twice! I met him two days ago and I just... I want him to! I want him to hold me and... I don't know! Ack!"

Elli smiled knowingly. "I think you're in love."

I immediately started protesting. "But I just met him! It... no... it's the air! I'm so used to foggy city air that clean country air is throwing my brain off! That's it!"

She just laughed. "Make excuses all you like. It's true. Even if it's not love yet, it has the potential to be something great." She leaned in closer towards me. "Zack's a great guy, but ever since Rod left he's been a shadow of himself. You might be able to heal him." Her doe eyes shining, she smiled brightly. "I really think you can change this city forever. I think this is why you came back. Even with everything you've gone through, you've retained your innocence. Mineral Town is just what you need, and I think you're what Mineral Town needs. Duke came in today. He told Trent that he... that he was an alcoholic and needed professional help. Courtney, you remember how he was an alcoholic even when we were little. You'd been here one day and already he's trying to change! This, this will be your legacy! You'll do it, and you know it. You can't stand suffering, and that's what a lot of us our doing. Deep down, under the smiles and cheer, we're hurting. You'll bring out the hurt, and make it go away."

My eyes filled with tears. "You give me way too much credit, Elle. I can't. I wasn't able to help my mom, or Papa. How can I help an entire town?"

Her brown eyes showed hurt. "What your mother did is none of your fault. You've done everything you could. Maybe, one day, she'll come back and realize what she's given up. Until then, don't let her take away from who you are." The door swung open and Trent and Zack both walked out.

"Courtney? Are you ready to head home?" I nodded and stood, a little shaky. "Trent? I'm taking her to Doug's first, to get something to eat. Alright?" Trent nodded, looking concerned. "I'll swing by around six for her pills." Zack walked over and put his arm around me. "Bye, Elli. It was good seeing you again."

"Take care, Zack. Now you have more to be around for, so be careful. Bye, Courtney. I'll stop by tomorrow if I can." I nodded and waved, wincing as my back twinged. Zack noticed and his eyes clouded.

"Trent, thank you. See you later, Elle." Zack and I walked out the door and started towards the Inn. Neither of us said a word until we hit the town square.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"I'm sorry," Zack said. We looked at each other and started to laugh. "Why are _you_ sorry?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Well, we just met, and already I've caused you huge problems. I'm really not this much of a klutz! I don't get it! I've fallen more in the past two days then I have in the past two _years_!" I sighed and looked up at him. I only came up to the middle of his arm. "How tall _are_ you?!" I asked, straining my neck to look him in the eye. I'm five six, which is pretty tall for a girl, and Zack's like three feet taller than me!

"I'm six seven. Well, six seven and three quarters."

"How are you so tall?! You make me feel all tiny!" I said, thinking to myself, _Ha! I can wear any type of heels I want with this guy_!

"I'm sorry..." He sighed and started to pull his arm away from me. I reached over and put it back across my shoulders.

"Relax! I'm just kidding. Anyhow, why did you say you were sorry before? You didn't do anything!"

"Well... I feel like it's my fault you got hurt. Trent sure reamed me out once you left, anyway."

"ABOUT WHAT?!" I yelled, pulling away from Zack. Eyes blazing, I threw my hands into the air. "You didn't do anything. You didn't pick me up and throw me into the wood pile. You didn't shove me to the ground! Every 'injury' I've sustained in the past day and a half is a hundred and ten percent my own fault! What could he possible have to yell at you about?!"

"Calm down, will ya? For someone so tiny you sure have a mouth on you!" He sighed. "He thinks I'm taking advantage of you."

"WHAT?!?!" Practically spitting, I tugged on my ponytail. "HOW IN HELL ARE YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ME?!?! You had chances, I guess, but you didn't DO ANYTHING! Nothing! You were nothing less than 'honorable'!"

"I guess he thinks it's because I'm so much older than you. You're only eighteen," he said, looking at his hands.

"What does that have to do with the price of eggs in Europe?!" I asked, tugging on my ponytail again, this time pulling out some hair.

"Because... wait. Did you just ask what that had to do with price of eggs in _Europe_?" he asked, looking at me incredulously.

"Yes I did. Don't change the subject." I crossed my arms to prevent anymore damage to my scalp.

"I'm twenty-nine!" he said, rubbing his temples.

"..." _Breathe in, breathe out..._

"Do you see why this is bad? You're practically a child compared to me!"

"..." _Breathe in, breathe out. Don't scream... don't scream..._

"Say something, dammit!" _You know what? To hell with it. Actions speak louder than words._ Closing the distance I had put between us, I grabbed Zack and pulled his face down to mine. Brushing my lips lightly against his, I pushed myself up on to my toes and deepened the kiss. He reached down and held my head steady, sending shock waves down my spine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, ignoring the flare of pain. My blood was pounding in my ears and I ran my fingers through his short hair. Zack bit down lightly on my bottom lip, sending tremors of pleasure through me. I moaned, pushing his mouth open with my tongue. He cupped my face with his other hand and stroked my face with his thumb.

Pulling away slightly, I stared up into his gorgeously hazy chocolate eyes, feeling slightly dizzy. "I'm not a child. Do you think a child would do that?" I asked, feeling breathless. He stroked my cheek lightly, his eyes searching mine.

"You barely know me," he said softly, resting his head against mine.

"You know me less..." I said, laying my hand on top of his. "Why not get to know each other? I have a week I can't work. We can spend time together."

"I was going to come to your place anyway..." he admitted, grinning shamelessly. "I was going to help take of the work you can't do anymore."

"Trent said I can still weed!" I said, protesting.

"With frequent breaks! That's like, let's see... a weed then a ten minute break!"

"What am I going to do if I have to take a ten minute break over other second?!" I asked, exasperated. He grinned, eyes going dusky. "Oh," I said, feeling my body temperature shoot up at least ten degrees. "Maybe that won't be so bad after all... it won't get work done, though..."

"Let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry. Afterwards, I'll walk you home and go pick up your groceries. You'll need your rest." I raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I meant! I... I wasn't implying...!"

Laughing, I shook my head. "I know. Calm down. I'm hungry too. Let's go." We started walking towards the Inn in comfortable silence. I reached over and grabbed his hand in mine. Grinning impishly, I nestled into the crook of his arm. He laughed and tightened his hold on my hand. He pushed open the door to the Inn and ushered me inside. I sighed, and stepped away from him into the cozy dining room.

"Hello! Welcome to the Inn!" Ann chirped, wiping down a table by the register. She glanced up to see who came in. "Hey Courtney! You here for..." she trailed off, eyes wide as Zack came up behind me and draped his arm around my waist.

I grinned sheepishly. "Hello, Ann... we're here for lunch. Got any ideas?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, she smirked. "I don't think I have any idea... hold on, I'll go fetch Dad." She headed towards the kitchen and I groaned.

"No, Ann, that's alright! You don't need to get Doug!" I said, covering my eyes with my hands.

"Don't worry! It's my pleasure!" she called out behind her, cackling evilly.

"On no, oh no, oh no!" I moaned, collapsing into a chair. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.  
"Should I be worried?" Zack asked, looking towards the kitchen. I nodded. "Why's she getting Doug? It's her job to see what we want to order!"

"She's getting Doug because she plans on tattling on us." I rolled my eyes. "Since, you know, I can't take care of myself..." He grinned rakishly, and I sighed. "Well, I can take care of myself."

"But if you can take care of yourself then maybe I should go home, you know, and let you handle your business..." I swatted his arm playfully. "Or not." He sat down in the chair next to me and set his hand on my knee as Ann came skipping out of the kitchen, Doug hot on her heels.

"... and he was all over her! It was, oh my god, soooo cute!" I groaned and rested my head on Zack's shoulder.

"Let me know when they leave." I whispered, feeling slightly claustrophobic.

"Um... Doug looks kinda scary... you might want to say something before he tears out my heart..." Zack murmured in my ear, his breath tickling my cheek. I looked up and, sure enough, Doug was practically spitting flames.

"Hey, Doug." I stood up and gave him a hug. I could practically feel him shooting daggers at Zack with his eyes. I shot a glare at Ann and she just smiled innocently. "Do you mind if we order lunch today? I haven't been able to head to the store yet, and I'm starving!"

"I just bet you are..." Ann said, looking from me to Zack, and then back at me. I sent her hate vibes, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

"Hey, Ann? How about you take their orders and then take Courtney upstairs? I'll holler when the food's ready, and you can let her choose the surprise we talked about last night."

Ann nodded and looked at us expectantly. "Well... um..."I faltered, turning red.

Zack cut in. "I'll have a roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee. Courtney?"

"Uh... same. Minus the coffee. It stunts your growth. I'll have water, if you don't mind." Doug nodded and stalked back into the kitchen, reaching the door and turning back around. Hands on his hips, he glared at Zack.

"..." he sighed. "I'll be back..." He stood up and followed Doug into the kitchen, the door slamming shut and rattling the dishes.

I immediately turned to Ann. "What did you tell your father?!"

"What's betweem you and Zack?!" she asked, giggling again. "Come on." She grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs.

"Ow! Be careful!" Yanking back, I told her what Trent had said about my back.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know! Are you okay?" I nodded and she opened the door to a guest room. The box in the corner was making mewing noises. "Here! Look!" I knelt down next to the box.

"Awwww... kittens!" The mama tabby looked up at me sleepily, then went back to her babies. "Ann, they're adorable!"

"I know, right? We need them to go to good homes, and Dad thinks you'd like one. You're still a cat person, right?" I nodded, stroking the mama cat's ginger fur. "Then we want you to have one! They're big enough to leave Jack, so you can take one with you after you eat!"

"Jack?" I asked, crossing my eyes.

"Yeah... I didn't know she was a girl..." She chuckled sheepishly. "So? Which one do you want?" There were five kittens; two tabbies, like Jake, and three black and white kittens. I picked up one of the black and white ones. She opened her eyes and swatted at my nose. There was a strip of orange fur on her chest.

"Definitely this one. Hey, sweetie!" I kissed the top of her head and she mewed at me, climbing up my shirt. "Hey!" She sprawled herself across my back. I looked up at Ann. "A little help?"

She laughed and pulled her off. Setting her back in the box, she turned back to me. "Sooo..." I just stared at her blankley. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You. Zack. What's up?!"

I grinned slyly. "I don't kiss and tell, sorry."

She sat up. "You guys kissed! Awesome!"

"Wait!" I protested. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to. You walked in here with a 'I just had the best kiss in the world, don't expect me to speak yet' look on your face."

"Really?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, and he had the 'this is my girl, don't touch' look too!" She squealed happily. "This is so amazing! You already have a boyfriend and you've been here a day and a half! It's fantastic!"

"Whoa, girl. Hold up. He's not my boyfriend."  
"Alright... Whatever you say, Courtney. Let's head back downstairs before Dad guts Zack. He's never been okay with the idea of 'boyfriends'."

I leapt to my feet, squeaking in pain as my back pulled. "You don't think he'd actually hurt him, do you? That would be just my luck. I finally get a boyfriend and my psycho friend's psycho father guts him."

"I thought he wasn't your boyfriend!" Ann said, voice dripping with satisfaction.

"Shut up!" I shrieked, stomping down the stairs. Once we reached the landing, Ann started giggling uncontrollably. "What?!" I turned to her.

"There's no blood seeping under the door..." she said, clutching her sides. "I think he's fine." I walked away from her, huffing as I reached the kitchen door. Hearing voices, I leaned down next to the doorknob, listening.

"...don't know WHAT you're thinking, Zack! You're a smart young man!" Doug was slamming around pans.

"I'm thinking that she's a gorgeous girl with brains and a sense of humor. She's amazing."

"She's eighteen!" Doug shrieked. I heard something glass break.

"I know that! I already told her I'm too old for her, but she didn't listen! She's as stubborn as a God damn mule when she wants to be!" He lowered his voice and I strained to listen. "Besides, Ann's mother was a couple years younger than you, if I recall correctly."

"That's different! I love that girl, Zack. I don't want to see her get hurt again. She doesn't need it."

"What do you mean?" Zack asked, sounding worried. Doug just sighed.

"I'm not the one who'll tell you. Courtney will when she's good and ready. Open the door." Scrambling to get back, I tripped and found myself sprawled across the wooden floor. I heard the door open behind me. I looked up to see Zack grinning above me.

"Would it kill you to remain on your feet?" he asked, reaching down and grabbing my hand. Pulling me up, he turned back to Doug. "I swear, everytime I turn around, she's fallen, or tripped, or in some other way injured herself." Turning back to me, he gave me a heart-stopping smile. "Do I need to wrap you in bubble wrap?" I smiled sheepishly and shook my head. Doug sighed, carrying two plates over to a table by the counter.

"Your lunch is ready. Come and get it. And you..." He gave Zack the evil eye. "Keep your hands to yourself. What you do when you're alone is one thing, but I do NOT want to see it. Especially if you want to keep your head on your shoulders."

Touched, I sat down. "Doug, are you giving me permission to have sex?"

"NO!!!!!!" His face as red as his hair, he started sputtering. Ann laughed before grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back in the kitchen.

"Was it necessary to ask that?" Zack asked, sitting next from me.

"Well, no, but that's what it sounded like what he was getting at." I grinned evilly. "Besides, he missed my horribly awkward teenage years of dating. Might as well make it up to him." Zack just shook his head, laughing as I dug into my sandwich. We ate in comfortable silence until someone came down the stairs. I looked up and saw Cliff. I waved and he smiled back, coming over to our table. "Cliff? Care to join us? Zack'll share some of his sandwich." Zack raised an eyebrow, chewing.

"No thanks. I'm... um... looking for Ann. Have you... seen her?" he asked, face turning pink.

Zack opened his mouth and I clapped my hand over it. "That depends. What do you need?" I asked, feeling the moment for revenge was close.

"Oh... um... well... never mind."

"Would you feel more comfortable telling Zack? I won't listen, I promise." Zack just looked at me. "See? Not listening." I covered my ear with my remaining hand and Cliff laughed.

"Well, you're her friend, right?" I nodded. "I... want to... well... ask her on a... on a..."

"... date?" I said, trying to be helpful. He turned bright red and nodded. "Ah. Okay, how can I help?"

"How do I ask her?" Looking desperate, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, what do you want to ask her to do?" I asked, pulling my hand away from Zack's mouth. He rolled his eyes and took another bite of his sandwich. "There's not much here, you know?"

He plopped down in a chair across from me. "Up in the mountains I found a field a few weeks ago. It's beautiful, and there's a creek that runs through it. I want to take her up there, but I don't know if she'd like it. I mean, I... I really don't know that much about her."

"Well, if I know Ann as well as I think I do, then I think she'll love it."

"She'll love what, exactly?" Cliff and I both jumped, looking up at Ann standing behind Zack.

"Perfect timing! Cliff, go go go!" I took the last bite of my sandwich. "We'll go pay for this. Good luck!" I leapt up from the table, dragging Zack.

"Careful with your back!" he yelp, tripping over a chair. I peeked behind me and saw Ann sit down in the seat Zack had just vacated. Jerking to a halt at the register, I turned to watch. Cliff's face was bright red and Ann was turning kind of pink. She nodded to something he said, and he beamed, causing her to smile back.

"Ha! I'm a genius!" I turned back to the counter as Doug walked out of the kitchen. "Hi, Doug. How much will that come to?"

He sighed. "Fifteen dollars and nintey five cents." I dug into my pocket and pulled out a twenty. I handed it to him.

"Keep the change! I'll see you later, alright?" Waving to Cliff and Ann, Zack and I walked out the door. "Holy Goddess! What time is it?" The sun was going down and the church bell was going off.

Zack flinched. "It's five. I didn't get to my rounds today."

"Why didn't you tell me?! I would've eaten faster and sent you on your way!"

He shook his head. "It's no big deal. Let's hurry at get your groceries. At this rate they might close before we get there." We ran

"What... when... you're grocery shopping together?! You just met!" I laughed.

"Karen, chill. Zack and I..." I turned to him. "You explain."

"What? Why me?"

"Because I don't know what to say!"

Zack sighed and turned back to Karen, whose face looked dangerously purple. "I think we're dating."

"Is that what we're calling it?" I grabbed a candy bar off a display behind me and kept looking. Karen followed us, gaping like a fish.

"When did this _happen_?" she asked, looking stupified.

"Earlier today. He decided to try to take advantage of me, and I decided I liked it."

"WHAT?!?!?" Karen's shriek echoed through the store and I started to laugh.

"That's not how it happened. Courtney, shut up for a minute, would ya?" I stuck out my tongue and wandered off as Zack explained to her what really happened. I came back about five minutes later with a handful of soup cans and handed them to Zack.

"That's sooooo sweet! How cute!" Karen was almost jumping, she was so giddy. "You're really cute together, too! Oh, we need to have a girl meet tonight!"

I shook my head. "Meet all you want, I can't make it. I've had a long day, my back hurts, and I'm tired. I'll let you tell everyone, if you want. Well, Ann already knows, but she can explain that better than I can." I looked at my basket. "Well, I've got everything I need. Karen, how about you stop by tomorrow? I can't work, and this lug can't be trusted to keep his hands off me." Karen's eyes got really big until I laughed. "I'm kidding. He's such a prude."

"I'm right here!" he cried out in mock outrage.

"I know, dear. Let's go."

We said goodbye to Karen and paid Jeff. His only reaction to Zack and I dating? 'Don't do anything I wouldn't do. On second thought, keep your hands to yourself or you lose them."

On the way out Zack turned to me. "Why do they assume I'm the one being all touchy-feelly?"

"Because I'm an innocent looking blonde and you're a big bad scary muscle man?" He grumbled under his breath. "It's a stereotype, but it works for me. No one thinks I would do anything wrong. You on the other hand..."

He sighed. "If I'm gonna be blamed for being all over you, I might as well actually do the crime."

I grinned. "Now, if only I believed you meant that..."

Raising an eyebrow, he grinned rakishly back. "Want me to prove it?"

I shook my head. "Not in public. Are you going to drop me off at my house and leave, or are you gonna keep me company for a while? We could watch a movie, or something."

"What time is it? A little after seven..." He nodded. "I can stay for a bit. Just make sure I actually get my rounds done tomorrow, okay? Even if you have to chase me away with an axe." I grinned.

"You know, that sounds like it would be fun, chasing you off my property with an axe. I can see it now..."

Rolling his eyes, he warned, "Don't get to excited there. I can outrun you." I stuck out my tongue as we reached the farm. He fumbled with the door, his hands full of groceries.

"Here, let me get it." All he had let me carry was the bag of bread. I pushed the door open and ushered him in. Flipping on the light, I walked over to the fridge. I started to put the groceries away and told him to choose a movie from the pile on top of the tv.

"Hmm... Over the Hedge... National Treasure... Just Like Heaven..." He looked up at me. "None of these have anything in common."

"I have very particular taste." I sniffed, grabbing two sodas out of the fridge. I plopped down in the yellow bean bag chair and handed Zack a pop.

"Well, let's watch Over the Hedge. I don't think I've seen it yet."

"It's the best movie in the WORLD. I swear. You'll love it." He laughed and popped it in before sitting in the beanbag next to me. As the movie started, he placed his arm and my shoulders and we sat like that, watching an ADD squirrel and a sneaky raccoon until we both dozed off, exhausted and happy.


End file.
